Operating-gear mechanism for washing-machines.



No. 893,907. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

J. EDENS.

OPERATING GEAR MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 190B.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Noe9s,9o7. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

' ,J. EDBNS. OPERATING GEAR MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 190B.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JTz/eriibz LJ/J/ZUECZeIZJ 22W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDENS, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO H. F. BRAMMER MANUFACTURING GOM- PANY, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '21, loos.

Application flied March 31, 1908. Serial No. 424,881.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN EnENs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating-Gear Mechanism for Washing-Machines and the Like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in crating gear mechanism or washing mac ines of that ty e of machine embracing 'a dasher shaft whlch is capable of rota reciprocatory motion in the tub and a v1- bratory operating lever operating, through the medium of suitable ear connections, to give movement to said s aft, and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended clalms.

As shown in the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine equi ped with my improved operating gear mec anism. Fig. 2 is a plain view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section, taken on line 33 of Figl 1. Figs. 4 and 5 aredetail views, taken on lines 44 and 55, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rack bar constituting part of the gear connections between the operating lever and dasher shaft.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates the tub of a washing machine and 11 the hinged lid or cover thereof.

12 designates, a vertical dasher shaft car ried by and extending upwardly through the cover, and 13 designates a dasher block or dolly carried by the lower end of said shaft. The said dasher shaft extends at its upper end through and has bearing in a frame 15 supported on and attached to the swinging lid,.said frame embracing a short bearing sleeve 16 depending from the frame. into a central opening in the lid. An upper bearing for the shaft, located a distance above the sleeve 16, is formed in the horizontal part 17 of the'spider frame 15. Said dasher shaft extends upwardly beyond said up er bearing and it carries a horizontal ba ance wheel 18 which is rotatively mounted on the up er end of the shaft. The hub 19 of said ba ance wheel rests on the spider frame 17. The shaft is suspended in its bearings by a pin 20 which extends transversely through the u per end of the shaft above the balance wlieel, and rests on a washer 22 su ported on the upper end of said wheel hug).

.A pinion 25 is fixed to the shaft 12 between the upper and lower bearings and meshes with the teeth 26 of a horizontal, endwise reciprocating rack bar 27, which is mounted to shde in the frame 15. Said rack bar extends radially beyond the cover and is ivotally connected, through the medium 0 a pivot in 28, with a vertically swinging o crating lever 29 located at one side of the tu The rack bar is guided at its inner end between lug 31 andsaid roller engages the upper side of the rack bar in a manner to hold the same from rising. The rack bar is provided with an offset end 34 which brings the operating lever 29 in a vertical plane which passes through the axis of the dasher shaft and is parallel with the path of reciprocation of the rack bar. The said operating lever 29 is pivoted at its lower end to an arm 36 which is rigid with and extends downwardly from the bearing frame 15 at one side of the tub, said arm being herein shown as made integral with said frame.

frame arm 36 is made as follows: ,The lower end of the arm 36 is provided with a horizontal pin 38 which extends transversely therethrough, at right angles to the rack bar 27 and said pin carries at the sides of said arm bearing rollers 39 which are confined between the arm and a head on one end of said pin and a nut on the other end thereof. The operating lever is provided at its lower end with an inwardly ofiset .forked end piece 40, the lateral members 41 of which extend at either side of the arm 36 and are formed with curved slots 42 which fit over and engage the bearing rollers 39 of the pivot pin 38. The

The pivotal connection between the operating lever and said bearing liability to breakage.

slotted connection of the operating lever with the pivot lplin 38 permits the lower end of the lever to s 'ft in a curved path relatively to the pivot pin during the swingingmovement of the lever, and enables the rack bar 27 to move inwardly and outwardly in a straight line notwithstanding its pivoted connection with the swinging lever. Thus proper meshing relation of the rack with the pinion is maintained uniform throughout the entire stroke thereof and the necessity is avoided of providing a loose and unstable pivotal connection between the rack bar and lever. The curvature of the slot will be modified by the length of the offset arm of the end piece of the operating lever, approaching a straight slot as the length of the ofiset arm diminishes.

The arrangement herein shown is an advantageous one for the'reason, among others, that it enables the bearing frame arm 36 to be located closely adjacent to the side of the tub and avoids an objectionable projection of the arm from the tub with a corresponding By reason of the fact that the arm 36 which supports the pivot pin for the operating lever is made rigid with and carried by the bearing frame and the swinging lid, no necessity arises for disconnecting the lever from the rack bar or from its pivot when theswinging lid of the tub be raised,

all parts of the operating mechanism being raised upwardly with the lid.

In order to balance or render uniform the movement of the operating mechanism and ion rigid with or formed on the hub o the balance wheel 18, a gear wheel 46 meshing with said pinion and rotatively mounted on a stud 47 rising from the bearing frame 15, and a pitman 48 which is pivotally connected at one end with said wheel and at its other end with the operating lever. Said pitman 48 is pivoted at its inner end to a pin or "stud 49 carried by the gear wheel and 1s apertured at its outer end for engagement with a hooked sha ied stud 50 which is attached to and carrie by the operating lever.

I claim as my invention 2-- .1. As a means for imparting rotary reciprocatory motion to a dasher shaft, the combination with the dasher shaft and its bearing frame, of a pinion fixed to the dasher shaft, a horizontal, endwise reciprocatory rack bar intermeshing with said pinion, an oscillatory operating lever pivoted between its ends to said rack bar, and a ivotal connection be tween said operating lever and a part rigid with the bearing frame com rising an inwardly offset arm on the en of said lever ing provided with a rigid, downwardly extending member having at its lower end a bearing in, and said actuating lever being provide at its lower end with an arm having slotted connection with said bearingpin.

3. As a means for imparting rotary reci rocatory motion to an upright dasher shaft,

the combination with said shaft and its bearing frame, of a pinion fixed to the shaft, a horizontal, endwise reciprocatory rack bar intermeshing with said pinion, an oscillatory operating lever pivotally connected between" its ends with said rack .bar, and means for pivoting said actuating lever to said bearing rame comprising a member rigid with an extending downwardly from one side of said bearing. frame and provided witha horizontal pivot in, and an offset forked arm at the lower end of said lever, the lateral members of which are provided with curved slots which fit over the ends of said pivot pin.

4. As a means for imparting rotary reci rocatory motion to an upright dasher shaft, the combination with said shaft and its hearing frame, of a pinion fixed to the shaft, a horizontal endwise reciprocatory rack bar intermeshin with said inion, an oscillatory operating ever pivote between its ends to said rack bar, said bearing frame being rovided with a rigid, downwardly exten ing member having at its lower end a bearing zontally over said rack bar, and means for operatively connecting said balance wheelwith the operating lever in a manner to rotate the balance wheel always in the same direction.

5. As a means for imparting rotary reciprocatory motion to an upright dasher sha the combination with said shaft and its bearing frame, of a pinion fixed to the shaft, a horizontal, endwise reciprocatory rack bar intermeshing with said pinion, an oscillatory operating lever pivoted between its ends to said rack bar, said bearing frame being rovided with a rigid, downwardly exten ing member having at its lower end a bearing pin, and said actuating lever being provided at its lower end with an arm having slotted connection with said bearing pin, a balance wheel rotatively mounted on said shaft horizontally over said rack bar and provided on my invention I aflix my signature in the resits hub with a rigid pinion, a horizontal gear ence of two Witnesses, this 26th day of M itroh 10 wheel rotatively mounted on a stud rising A. D. 1908. from said frame and meshing with the balanoe wheel pinion, and a pitman affordin JOHN ED EN operative connection between said gear whee Witnesses: and operating lever. T. A. MURPHY,

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as I. C. ANDERSON. 

